Donald Trump explains Melania's disappearance

You don't need to be a keen-eyed detective to notice that Melania Trump is no longer seen at her husband's side as she used to be. Her absence is quite a change from Donald Trump's presidential campaign back in 2016.

There has been much chatter and speculation about where she might be. Not helping the matter was Donald Trump's family Christmas card, which, according to Business Insider, featured her son Barron and Melania's father, but no trace of Melania herself.

Pictured: Donald and Melania Trump at the White House, back in 2018.

Business Insider explains that, according to Trump himself, Melania was at the hospital, taking care of her ailing mother.

However, it's no secret problems have been brewing between Donald Trump and his third wife for quite some time.

Throughout 2023, Melania Trump was barely seen in public. Back in November, she attended the funeral of another former First Lady, Rosalynn Carter.

Before that, the former US First Lady Melania Trump resurfaced during the Mar-a-Lago Halloween Party alongside her husband, Donald Trump.

The New York Post wrote that it was the first time in several months that the former presidential couple was seen together since the Mar-a-Lago Easter Party.

Indeed, Melania seems to be keeping herself out of the spotlight while Trump tries to run for a third time while dealing with mounting legal problems, to say the least.

While The Donald hits the campaign trail, The New York Times claims that the former First Lady sticks to a small circle of friends and one of her three homes, favoring her Manhattan residence.

The New York Post highlights that Melania Trump seems to favor living in her home at Trump Tower and has grown distant to her husband, which most be awkward if he’s also her landlord.

According to The New York Times, Melania allegedly focuses on raising her son Barron Trump, probably making sure he doesn’t get into legal trouble, unlike his dad.

Indeed, The New York Post describes that Mrs. Trump has “distanced herself” from whatever is hitting the fan and splattering all over her husband.

Meanwhile, People Magazine claimed that sources nearby to Melania argued that the Georgia indictment was “another problem for her husband, not for her”.

“Melania publicly supports her husband but privately prefers a life with 100 percent privacy and no press scrutiny,” the source was cited saying to People Magazine.

Mrs. Trump is described as surrounding herself with a select group of relatives and a few close friends, without the need of being showered by love and admiration as a certain former US President she’s married to.

Other former First Ladies have focused on using the spotlight they earned to build up their own careers in charity, as a public speaker, writing a book or even making their own political career.

Melania Trump, some argue, finally has what she always wanted and lost during the Trump years in the White House: privacy.

The New York Times points out that this is a striking difference from 2016, when Mrs. Trump could be seen supporting her husband in political rallies.

However, one can’t help but wonder if the public scrutiny has taken a toll on her and her marriage.

From the grotesque remarks about women, passing through Stormy Daniels, to Trump asking Melania to walk around in a bikini in Mar-a-Lago to show off to others, it’s been one humiliation after another.

There’s a possibility that Melania Trump knew exactly who she was married to, but still got far more than she bargained for.